Earthquake Trauma Can Be Long Lasting – Health News
The head of the department of psychiatry of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), head of the department of psychiatry, Prof. Dr. Ömer Böke said the trauma shattered the sense of trust. Prof. Dr. Böke said: “What we need to do for this is to build a long-term support system based on a sense of trust and make the earthquake victims feel that we are with them. About 20,000 people affected by the earthquake citizens came to Samsun. These people have many needs and we have to show them that we strive to meet those needs consistently,” he said.
Stating that due to the persistence of some symptoms caused by the earthquake, post-traumatic stress disorder and psychiatric disorders are occurring in people, Prof. Böke conveyed his observations, provided psychosocial support services under the umbrella of the Provincial Health Directorate and communicated one-on-one -one with earthquake victims. About this process, Böke said: “In extraordinary situations like earthquakes, everyone reacts in a different way, which is normal. Situations such as unrest, unrest, fear of another earthquake, not being able to watch television and not feeling safe everywhere can last for the first 1 month and this behavior is human reaction. Presence of overstimulated reactions, avoidance symptoms and reexperiencing symptoms that continue to affect functioning after 1 month; It causes post-traumatic stress disorder and psychiatric disorders that require treatment. The psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and pre-existing illnesses that we track in this business cycle were further triggered by the earthquake.”
“In this extraordinary situation, individuals can be exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder at a rate of 30-40 percent”
Emphasizing that the priority in the current situation is to meet the basic needs of earthquake victims and take good care of them, Prof. Dr. Böke pointed out that earthquake trauma can be long-lasting and said: “Individuals’ need for us will increase in the future certainly arise. It is possible to research the scale of events affected by events, but the most important thing is to evaluate basic functionality. How does the earthquake victim feel, how is his sleep, appetite, communication, communication with distant family members. We need to intervene in the process in a timely manner by making circulation evaluations and classifying the current picture as highly affected and moderately affected in light of the questions: Because traumas can respond after a long time and if they do not receive qualified treatment, will 1/3 of people with mental illnesses recover from these traumas within 10 years.In the extraordinary situation we are in, we can say that 30-40 percent of people are dealing with a post-traumatic stress disorder.”